A problem that greatly contributes to the struggle many young families are feeling right now is child care. Indeed, many families struggle to afford the care. Care that is itself, at times, of a questionable nature. Quality continues to play second to cost. Child care workers are underpaid which further adds to both concerns. How to keep cost down and quality up? National child care is the solution. A solution that will improve quality of care, affordability, and worker's pay; while helping grow the middle class by pulling millions out of poverty and strengthening America's families.
The problems facing the child care industry and many families in America are detailed in this position statement from the National Association for the Education of Young Children:
Programs outside of K–12 public education have the greatest difficulty in meeting the criteria of good quality, equitable compensation,and affordable access. Unlike K-12 education— a publicly financed system with a relatively stable funding base—most early childhood care and education services operate in a very price-sensitive market financed primarily by fees from families and supplemented by public
and private contributions. Many families cannot pay the full cost of quality care, and the ongoing commitment from public and private contributions is seldom guaranteed.
Recent studies of licensed, full-day child care centers and family-based child care (provided by nonrelatives and relatives in the provider’s home) suggest that quality is minimally acceptable in most cases and, in many situations, may place the health and safety of young children, especially infants, at risk (Galinsky et al. 1994; Helburn 1995).
Unfortunately, many families are forced to think about scenarios of day care vs. job rather than day care and a job. The reason? Affordability.
More than half (56%) of the women with children younger than age 5 say that "finding affordable child care" is a serious problem, according to a recent report by the U.S. Department of Labor Women’s Bureau (1994). Striking differences exist in the child care costs as a proportion of family income. Families with incomes less than $15,000 who pay for child care spend 25% or more of their income on their children,
compared to just 6% by families whose income exceeds $50,000 (Willer et al. 1991). Lack of affordable child care is a serious barrier to employment or education (Siegel & Loman 1991; Bloom et al. 1993; U.S. General Accounting Office 1994), especially for single mothers.
As in many industries the salaries have also not kept up in child care. Do you work better been you are under-paid?
In centers the average annual wage of each teacher (lead teacher, not assistant teacher) is $5,000 less per year than the average wage for any other role with comparable educational qualifications (Helburn 1995). In 1990 teachers in centers earned on the average approximately $11,500 per year (Willer et al. 1991). Recent research suggests that salaries have not risen appreciably since that time (Whitebook, Phillips, & Howes 1993; Helburn 1995). Family child care providers earn roughly $10,000 per year, on the average, before expenses (Willer et al. 1991).
The idea does have a history in America, and was even implemented to some degree, during WWII. Eleanor Roosevelt, Henry Kaiser, and his Swan Island Center in the shipyards of Oregon provide an important and successful precedent for government and child care in the U.S. Doris Kearns Goodwin has an account of the success of the Rock Island Center in her book, No Ordinary Time. Another account is found in Eugenia Kaledin's book Daily Life in the United States: 1940-1959. Finally Susan Douglas also reflects upon the Swan Island Center in her book The Mommy Myth, while also pointing out the relevance of the mothers of WWII to the mothers of our day and age.
The director of the childcare centers in Baltimore County noted that working mothers were breaking down under the strain of working at an eight- to ten-hour job- a job which by itself has always entitled a member of the stronger sex to the best armchair by his fire and his pipe and slippers at the end of a hard day! But working mothers came home to mending, laundry, cleaning, and cooking, getting to bed at midnight only to get up at five the next morning.
Douglas adds...
(Sound familiar?)
Demark's system is an important model for the U.S. to look at as well. A model that offers government-ran facilities but also subsidizing to choose a private practice, in addition to home child care visa vis government subsidized nannies. A good summary is found here:
An essential factor in Danish family policy is parents' possibility of choosing among various child-care options, enabling families to select the form of child care that best suits them and thus strike a balance between work and family life. In most local authorities, parents can choose between various public/independent day-care facilities, subsidies to choose a private care scheme or looking after the child themselves.
I would highly recommend this article, by Marsden and Mary Wagner, for some very detailed numbers and analysis regarding Denmark's system. I would skip ahead to page 25 for some detailed points on Denmark's system in relationship to the needs the U.S. has for child care.
For a very detailed analysis of Denmark's successful system, please read this official report by the Organization for Economic Co-Operation and Development, of which the U.S. participates.
Using these two reports I have come up with a rough estimate of what it would cost the U.S. to operate a child care system like that of Denmark (at roughly $2,000 per child for roughly 50 million children). The estimated cost for the U.S. to adopt a system like that of Denmark, covering ages from infancy to 11 years is 100 billion dollars a year through 2010. Cost of set-up is not factored in, however, many current day cares, I believe, could be worked into the system to become government sponsored.
$100 billion a year seems like a small price to pay for pulling millions out of poverty into the middle class.
The economic crisis has been devastating to those that make a living in child care. As seen in Maryland:
Rising faster than the rate of inflation, the price of child care averages between $3,380 to $10,787 a year for just one preschooler, according to the National Association of Child Care Resource & Referral Agencies, based in Arlington, Va. In combination with this year's economic perils, unemployed and budget-conscious parents are choosing to eliminate the extra expense by pulling children out of local child care centers and family care providers.
As a result, the tri-county area lost 12 family child care providers this year, equivalent to 96 slots for children, said Karen Goldman-Karten, executive director of the Lower Shore Child Care Resource Center. In addition, the nonprofit agency's "LOCATE: Child Care" referral service has had a decline in calls from local parents.
"It's very unusual, but I don't think we've ever faced economic times quite like this," said Goldman-Karten, who speculates parents are seeking informal care from friends or family members. "We really worry about where the children are now. Child care is a lot more than just watching or baby-sitting a child. It's an opportunity to get that first educational experience before they enter kindergarten."
Oh, and if you're wondering about cost in Maryland:
The Maryland Child Care Resource Network said that Lower Shore families spent about 19 percent of their total income this year on child care. The Baltimore-based agency based their findings on a family of four that has two children in day care and is earning the area's median income level.
Vermont is seeing similar developments:
"I have many families calling who say, ‘[We] can’t afford the care anymore,’" explains Faryniarz, the YMCA’s vice president for child and youth services. "It’s happening more and more as people are losing their jobs and not getting their bonuses."
The problems with non-licensed care are seen in Vermont as well. The article continues:
Elizabeth Meyer, executive director of the Williston-based nonprofit Child Care Resource, is concerned about the recent shift to informal childcare for a few reasons. For one, she says, it can be dangerous when non-licensed professionals care for children. Moreover, she adds, by turning away from licensed providers, parents could destabilize an already volatile childcare market. According to her figures, Chittenden County lost 32 of 362 childcare providers between April and December.
"It’s kind of a vicious cycle where nobody really wins, and children are the ultimate losers," Meyer says.
The articles address many, if not all, the crisis points in America regarding this industry. The economic crisis has put the industry on the brink. All ready low-incomes for child care workers are falling or the jobs eliminated altogeher. Families are yanking their children from day care putting quality of care and development of the children at risk. Costs and affordability are forcing parents out of work, or children to care for themselves while their parents work, creating a viscious cycle of cost, quality, and compensation. We are witnessing an end to quality child care in the country.
Make no mistake this crisis has been building for years. Simply look at the statements quoted from the early 90's at the top of this diary. Now look at the articles from Maryland and Vermont from December of 2008. A crisis is brewing, one that illustrates a major issue talked very little about in political spheres, yet mentioned at many a kitchen table. A crisis that further exacerbates the problems the middle class is facing with income and wage disparity. A crisis in the child care industry that is draining the middle class dry. A crisis many can no longer afford to continue.
In this time of crisis, I believe government action, on behalf of the children and quality care, the parents and a decent cost, and the child care workers and decent compensation- needs to be taken into consideration. Look over the OECD report, as well as the Wagner's analysis. Then: ask yourself, what's best for the children?
Don't like entitlements? Think of the number of families that would willingly get off of welfare and food stamps, now that they will actually be able to earn money instead of throw it away on day care, if the dream of national child care was realized in this country.
Thank you.